Ocean of memories
by Stellabest
Summary: Chuck Hansen floats hopelessly on the open ocean after his last mission. While he wasted his time helplessly in the escape pod, his memories revived in him. (The story is unchanged, but I improved it with some dialogues and an additional chapter.)
1. Chapter 1

January 12, 2025

The sun highly went on the cloudless sky and everything was shining above the whole Pacific Ocean. One single, small, black patch appeared on the endless, huge, blue water field. The little object was an escape pod, which floated soundlessly where the current carried it with its only passenger. Chuck Hansen stared into the distance while his elbow propped up on his knee and he wrapped in complete silence. How long had he wasted his time in the escape pod, for half an hour, an hour or half a day? Who knows? His thoughts whirled on the past, on the future and finally those lost in the present.

He thought ironically after he survived the clash with Scunner and Slattern, finally he had to die in a damaged escape pod. The device wasn't able to send his coordinates to the headquarters.

"Maybe did Pentecost sacrifice himself for me unnecessarily? Maybe if the kaijus didn't kill me, then the thirst and hunger will do? How long am I able to endure without food and drink on the open water? 1-2-3 days, a little bit longer?" he asked himself.

He didn't have any illusions, he knew, they wouldn't look for him after Striker Eureka exploded and the central system didn't observe the escape pod.

"Maybe Gipsy Danger fell over in the battle and PPDC and the rescue unit don't exist any longer which would search for me." Pondering on this, the last moments of the battle came into his mind.

" _Sir,_ _primary weapons are damaged. Hull is compromised._ _The half of system don't work, the structure damage is almost 80%. We're unable to fight. We don't have any chance without help to take up the fight against the two kaijus," Chuck said tensely. He couldn't blow his cool and started to swear like a trooper to himself._

" _Soldier, stop cursing. What about the bomb?" Pentecost's voice sounded firmly._

" _We can't deliver the payload because the release jammed."_

" _Then we can clear a path for the Lady," Pentecost said quietly._

 _Then Striker Eureka's Conn-Pod was silence but the two rangers' thoughts echoed in each other's mind._

" _Ranger, it's time to leave the deck. I finish the mission alone."_

„ _Sir, I'm not leaving you alone in the trouble."_

" _I really appreciate your loyalty, but I'm going to detonate the payload alone, because I promised my best friend that I look after his son."_

" _But Sir…"_

" _Damn it, Hansen!_ _I'm dying and I can't avoid it. So, I have nothing to lose. But you have got a future, for this you have to live! Do you see what I mean? You have to live!_ _And now, get out of here. This is my last order for you."_

 _Chuck stared at his commander for a long moment, after that he thought sadly: "It's been a pleasure serving with you, Sir!"_

 _For answer Pentecost nodded his head and waited till Chuck's escape pod ejected._

 _A moment later, a terrible explosion shook the ocean floor and the LOCCENT lost Striker Eureka's signal._

It seemed the sun didn't move as if spiked onto the sky. The heat, the thirst started to become more and more unbearable. Chuck's mouth became dry, his throat tickled because of thirst. His eyes were stung by sweat which flowed down from his forehead and his eyesight was blinded by the reflecting sunlight from the giant, blue water. He felt the death stalks mutely nearer to him. But he didn't want to struggle desperately between obsession and waiting for death.

The thought of destruction prompted him to meditation which recalled memories from the past.


	2. Chapter 2

Innumerable memories revived in Chuck. Some of these passed over in his mind, but some of these compelled him onto lengthy cogitation. The most important from among all memories were attached to Lisa. The smallest snatch of memory, which was related to her, was more unsettling than any kind of hurricane and more searing than the glowing sun.

 _Everything started in the spring of 2021. Lisa arrived from Germany to Sydney and she was, as a fresh graduate, a junior engineer in the team of Striker Eureka. She was talented and clever, besides this she was the most beautiful and the most enchanting woman whom Chuck had ever met. The woman had strong attractiveness and he wasn't able to resist. He was an excellent ranger, cool and badass kid who could face the kaijus any time. But then, he strayed to an unknown area where strange, new feelings seized on him which he was incapable of._

 _Chuck and Lisa liked each other from the first moment and they were able to work well together. The vocation, commitment and perfectionism were common in them for their work. This way, neither of them lived an especially big social life, in contrast they started to spend more time together. In their free time Chuck guided Lisa round in whole Sydney, they went to cinema and restaurant, and they talked much and laughed a lot and came increasingly close to each other. At long last, Chuck lived an ordinary life than the others, average 18 years old kids, except the deployments. He was happy and was in love the first time in his life._

At last, the flaming fire-ball moved in the sky and started its way toward West. Chuck experienced relieve that the heat was easing. Although, the hunger and thirst didn't calm him down and alternately tormented his body, the soft breeze beneficially affected his sunburned skin. He raised his haggard look to the slowly setting sun at the horizon. It sight recalled in him the first sunset which they spent together with Lisa.

 _The middle of 2021 summer, a pleasant evening Chuck and Lisa walked on the ocean coast. They were talking while they arrived slowly at Chuck's favourite coastline. They sat on the shore covered with fine sand. The setting sun reflected orange in some places from the turquoise-blue water which was broken only by the tall, white waves. The coastline wrapped up in perfect silence apart from the sound of the waves and some sea birds. Everything was perfect and Chuck couldn't wait anymore, he kissed Lisa. That was their first kiss. In the beginning the tender kisses were replaced by increasingly more passionate kisses. Finally, they lost in each other's arms, as time was passing by. During the evening they went back to Lisa's room where they spent the night together. The morning greeted them in each other's arms. Both of them were happy and they were in extremely love with each other. Both of them believed that they were connected forever by the feeling._ _Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and finally months turned into years._

 _One day the bond became more intense between them._

" _Chuck, where are we going?" Lisa asked curiously._

" _You'll know it soon," he answered mysteriously, while they got thought the jaeger pod bays. A moment later they stopped in front of an active jaeger simulator. "Here we go. Happy birthday!" Chuck said grinning._

" _I'm sorry but I don't understand entirely," she looked at him uncomprehendingly._

" _You've always wanted to drift with me. It's time for us do it. It's one of my birthday presents for you," he answered._

" _Oh… thanks but how could you come up with this idea?"_

" _Well, you know me, I'm always ready to do something stupid," he smirked._

" _Yeah but it's impossible. If they get to know this, they get us fired," she said worriedly._

" _You don't need to worry, I arranged everything. It remains our and one of LOCCENT officer's secret. James is a god guy, he's gonna help us. Easy Baby and trust me," Chuck said and kissed his girlfriend's forehead._

" _All right, let's do it," she smiled finally._

 _They put on the drive suits and got in the simulator._

" _Jaeger simulator is ready. Prepare for a neural handshake. Initiating neural handshake in fifteen…, fourteen…" the LOCCENT Officer's voice sounded._

" _I still can't believe that we do this," she said._

" _Relax, there's nothing to be afraid of. In the drift you're gonna experience both of our memories. Just let them flow, don't latch. You'll enjoy the drift," Chuck said and held his girlfriend hand strongly._

" _Three…, two…, one..." the LOCCENT officer's voice sounded from a distance, and then the whirl of memories carried away them._

 _The memories flashed one after the other in Chuck's mind._

 _He was a little boy. His mother was reading a fairy tale for him, while she was holding him in her arms. The room door opened and Herc entered. He hurried to them and cuddled them tightly._

 _He was seven years old. There were a lot of balloons everywhere and a delicious cake with candles on the table. "Happy birthday my little prince!" Angela was saying, while Herc was taking photos. They were so happy together._

 _Chuck was eleven years old. That day her mother brought him to school. Angela hugged and kissed him and promised that she'll hurry for him. But she couldn't pick him up after the school anymore, because Scissure reached the shore at Sydney that day. The death swept through the city and demanded thousands of innocence victims' life, Angela's life too._

 _His father managed to save him but only him, and Chuck had to face the mourning and the passing as a little boy._

 _He was twelve years old. He stood in front of his father in one of the jaeger's hangar. His eyes were full of tears, while he shouted at Herc. "I hate you! I'm always lonely, because you spend more time with these machines, than me. If you really loved me, you would have saved mom instead of me. I miss her in every moment and I always feel remorse because she died because of me."_

 _He was fourteen years old. He sat alone on his favorite shore at the ocean. „I still miss you, mom, but I'm not gonna cry anymore. I bury all of the emotions inside me and I'll be strong. I'll become the best ranger and I'll kill all kaiju, which gets in my way,"_ _and he started to exclude everything from his life and he concentrated only on the Jaeger Academy._

 _He was sixteen years old. He was enlisted in the Jaeger Academy where he rose to the top of the ranks in all areas of the Academy's program, because he was determined and talented. In that year, he became a co-pilot of the Striker Eureka and_ _he risked his life continuously as a first class ranger. Finally, he reached his purpose: he overcame the grief and he became successful, on the other hand he became as cold as a stone man._

 _From time to time beside the duty he had one-night stands, but he never loved either of those girls._

 _Chuck was eighteen years old. He was standing in the repair bay of Striker Eureka, while he was speaking to a mechanic, who worked something under the jaeger. "Hey, buddy check the whole system of the jaeger, I want more power."_

" _It has already happened. I could increase your jaeger's power. It was easy. I set on the torque, because more torque means more power," a sweet woman' voice answered and the mechanic bed rolled out from under the jaeger. Chuck caught sight of the women laying on it. She stood up quickly. She was pretty and clearly perfectionist. A little oil stain was on her face, from which she seemed more sexy._

" _It's cool, thanks," Chuck said shortly, while he thought to himself, "Woah, this woman is amazing."_

" _You're welcome. I'm Lisa Rommel. I'm the new junior engineer in the Striker Eureka team," she smiled._

 _They shook hands. From this touch he felt warm in his whole body and the happiness penetrated his soul after long years. The icecap started to melt on his heart slowly._

 _They sat on the ocean shore with Lisa. Everything was idyllic._

" _This's my favorite shore, but I've never brought anybody with myself here," he said._

" _Really? Then why I'm here?"_

" _Because of I trust you. When you aren't with me, I miss you and I fear for you. Earlier, I've never felt such things like this. I'm in love with you."_

" _Huh, no one has ever said such things to me like you," her beautiful eyes widened in surprise._

" _Well, I've never said such things to anyone. But I wanted to do this now, and one more thing that I want to do…" and he kissed Lisa. That was their first kiss._

" _Chuck, I think I love you too," she said softly and their lips met again._

 _After that they spent the night together. Her lip, her skin, her fragrance, her touch, her kiss and everything else that she was drove him crazy. The memories were dizzying, and Chuck felt that the ice melted from his heart once and for all from that night._

 _Lisa knew what was waited for her in theory, despite this she experienced the events much more intensively than she expected. Her memories emerged from the past and changed each other as quick as lightning._

 _Lisa was a little girl. She was running down a downhill happily, while she was holding a kite in her right hand. The kite flew like the wind and she was very proud of herself, because she designed and made it. Her laugh filled the valley. Later, she had a picnic with her parents at the riverbank._

 _She was eleven years old. She sat with her father at the dining table. They ate cold and tasteless pizza. Both of them were sad, because Lisa's mother abandoned them. The woman found a more successful and richer man than Lisa's father. She also didn't need her daughter, because the girl just hindered her in the carefree freedom and happiness._

 _Lisa was a high school student. She looked into the assembly of the mark-I Jaegers with her father, Dr. Lightcap and Dr. Schoenfeld at the Kodiak Island. All of these made a huge impression on Lisa and in that moment she decided, she'll be a jaeger engineer after her father._

 _She was the first in her college year at the TUM Department of Mechanical Engineering, but all of this didn't make her happy, because of her father dying. She sat the on the edge of the hospital bed sadly with full of tears in her eyes. She took her father hands and whispered to him. "Dad, please don't go away. I need you, because I love you. Dad please…" But his heart unstoppably moved towards the last heart-beat. Although Dr. Rommel wanted to live, he lost the battle against the cardiac failure and Lisa was alone._

 _She obtained her degree as a jaeger engineer. She left Germany and moved to Sydney, where she got a junior engineer job in the Striker Eureka's team. She enjoyed improving the best and the most modern jaeger. Sometimes she did more things what belonged to her range of duties. One day she also tried to make Striker Eureka better, when she heard a young man's voice. "Hey, buddy, check the whole system of the jaeger, I want more power."_

" _It has already happened. I could increase your jaeger's power. It was easy. I set on the torque, because more torque means more power," she answered. A minute later she rolled out from under the giant robot as she was lying on the mechanic bed and she saw a young and handsome ranger. She stood up rapidly and she tried to cover her surprise as much as she could._

" _Hello, I'm Chuck Hansen. Nice to meet you," he smiled and Lisa knew instinctively that his heart is full of emotions, in spite of the fact that he seemed badass and as cold as ice. They shook hands and she felt that both of their souls were penetrated by happiness._

 _They sat on Chuck's favorite shore. Everything was idyllic_

" _I trust you….. I fear for you… I'm in love with you.…. I wanna do something," Chuck leaned down and kissed her gently. That was their first kiss._

 _As their lips moved away from each other's, she touched her lip, where she still felt Chuck's kiss. "He and his kiss are breathtaking," she thought in herself. A second later their sight met again and she said softly: "Chuck, I think I love you too." He smiled and his eyes were full of happiness. Their lips touched again, and finally they spent together the night._ _They embraced, stroked and kissed each other passionately, and lastly, their body joined and they became addicted to the sensual pleasure._ _She felt that the ice melted from Chuck's heart once and for all._

 _Suddenly, the single memories disappeared and the same things evolved in both of them minds. From this they knew that their minds connected in the drift._

 _They stood hand in hand at their favorite shore. The soft waves tickled their ankle gently._

" _Well, we're here. We're closer to each other than ever. How do you like it?" Chuck asked._

" _It's amazing and incredible and… I can't find the words. Thank you," she said smiling and kissed Chuck._

" _You're welcome. But I've another gift for you," he looked into his girlfriend's eyes deeply and held her hands gently. "Lisa, 2 years ago, in that_ _moment, when I looked in your eyes I saw the woman I've loved all my life. I always knew that you're more than an ordinary woman. I feel that our love is more than an ordinary. And…., and…. Oh, holly shit! I can't do this, because I'm just a soldier," Chuck took a few steps back and he dug into his short hair. He looked away and lowered his eyes. He was totally embarrassed._

 _Lisa looked for the reason in Chuck's mind, but he was an excellent ranger and he could keep his thoughts under control. Lisa didn't understand what happened with Chuck. She had never seen him like this before. Though she was curious, she waited patiently._

 _Finally, Chuck pulled himself together. Although he kept_ _a few steps distance, he looked into his girlfriend's eyes again and started to speak. "Lisa, I'm aware that I could arrange the things more romantically, but this is the best I've at the moment. I'm willing to fight a whole kaiju armada, but I'm not the master of the romance and nice words. These things change nothing about the fact that I love you. I would be honored if you married me," he pulled a ring out of his jeans' pocket. Because of the surprise Lisa's eyes widened and she fell upon Chuck's neck. Their body met passionately and a few seconds later they were laying on the sand, while they were kissing fiercely. When Lisa gave a breathing space, he asked quickly: "Is that a yes?"_

" _Yes, that's a big yes!" Lisa said joyously and she allowed Chuck to put the engagement ring on her finger. A second later she swopped down on Chuck's lips. Her kiss was wild which called him into a maddening game._

 _The drift was an unforgettable journey and discovery in each other's mind and soul. After the successful drift connection they felt themselves closer to each other than ever, and the bond became undestroyed between them._

 _Nothing could overshadow their happiness, except the growing and alarming kaiju attacks._


	3. Chapter 3

The cool and fresh night and the ecstatic memories brought a sweet dream for Chuck. After some hours of restful sleep, in the middle of the night he woke up that cold raindrops soaked his body. The wind turned strong and the waves slapped highly upwards. The peaceful ocean started to become furious, the nice, blue water became dark and frightening. The little escape pod tossed about on the ocean in the furious storm. Chuck clung with full stretch in the escape pod. Although, he didn't have too many chances to survive, he didn't want to die in a watery grave, he wanted to live while he was thinking about Lisa. He tried to keep cool and fight down his fear, and then he remembered the night he almost lost Lisa.

 _In 2024 the desperate news about the kaijus attack constantly arrived, and more and more rangers fell in the battle. The government rather supported the "Wall of life" project, due to this more and more Shatterdome became depopulated and empty. Chuck watched the events with concern. He feared for humanity, his dreams but eminently he worried about Lisa. He was addicted to the theory that he had to become a better ranger because he would able to protect his love interest. For the sake of these, he spent more time in the gym, developed his martial art knowledge and always did simulation tests. The result didn't wait for long, Chuck really became the best ranger. At the same time, due his achievements success he turned into a more arrogant, more egoistic and more intolerable person towards everybody. In consequence of the overworked life-style he was able to control less and less himself._

 _The situation reached the tip of the iceberg at the end of 2024. An evening, after his ordinary daily routine he arrived wearily into their mutual home with Lisa._

" _Chuck, I would like to talk to you. I love you and I'm worried about you. You should slow down a little bit, because you're_ _overburdened mentally as well as physically,_ _" she mentioned softly._

" _What?" he asked edgily_

" _I mean that you should relax a little bit. Recently, we just live beside each other. We_ _don't spend enough quality time together anymore_ _and we already don't talk each other. You're always exhausted and you handle others people roughly, and many times you're doing it with me too."_

" _Are you kidding me right now? The apocalypse is upon us. Just average rangers serve at the PPDC. The world is full of stupid political leaders, who trust in the shitty Anti-Kaiju Wall. I'm the only one who is able to fight against the kaijus and save the humanity. I'm the only one who can protect you. And now you come with this bullshit,"_ _he was blinded by egoism and he shouted at Lisa._

" _You see, that's exactly what I'm talking about: you're arrogant and rough," she said angrily._

" _Am I arrogant and rough?_ _What do you want? What the hell should I do?" he was shouting deliriously, while he was grabbing and shaking her fragile shoulders with his strong hands. Lisa got frightened and tried to get out of Chuck's grip. She gathered her strength and just then she tore herself from Chuck's hand when he let her go. It was an unlucky coincidence because Lisa fell backward and threw her head powerfully into the wall. The blood poured slowly downwards on her temple from her burst forehead. Chuck promptly realized the depth of his mistake and tried to help her._

" _Heavens! Baby, are you all right? I lost my control. I'm really sorry! Let me help you!"_

" _Don't touch me! I do not need your help! Get out of here!" she yelled, because of the anger and fear that flooded her._

" _It was an unfortunate accident. I would never be able to hurt you, Lisa."_

" _I don't care! And now, get the hell out of here!" she cried furiously._

 _That evening, in a nearly pub Chuck drank the umpteenth glass of whiskey. He sat lonely and mutely at the counter of the bar. Thoughts flashed in his head and his soul was tormented by the guilt and fear. It was the first time he really felt fear that he might lose something very important and valuable in his life. Lisa was irreplaceable, without her his life would have been bleak and meaningless, a sort of vegetative existence. If he couldn't see her smile more, if he couldn't hear her voice more, if he couldn't touch and embrace her more, all that would mean death for Chuck. He made every endeavour to overcome his fear and to find a solution to the problem, which he caused. But he felt himself increasingly blunter from the alcohol and then everything blurred around him._


	4. Chapter 4

January 13, 2025

The next morning the weather was sunny and clear again. The ocean calmed down and swung softly again the tiny escape pod on its waves. Chuck was lying on his back and moving very slowly while his eyes were closing. He felt dizzy, he had pain in his head and limbs and his body was covered with bruises because he tossed into the escape pod at the previous night. However, the thirst tortured him and it was a more unbearable feeling than all the physical torment he had had.

Chuck had feeling of déjà vu. He felt himself terrible the following morning after that he spent the night in the watering hole.

 _Chuck opened his eyes and had a headache. His largest surprise was that he was lying in his old room. Onto some meters from Chuck, Herc was sitting on his favourite chair, his legs were put onto the table loosely while he was browsing his usual daily paper._

" _Good morning Son," Herc said, when he noticed that Chuck awoke._

" _Morning Dad. What happened to me?" he was murmuring sleepily, while he was rubbing his eyes._

" _What do you remember form the previous evening?" Herc asked._

" _I didn't remember a lot, except I argued with Lisa and then I swilled the whiskey without stop in a pub."_

" _Well, before you struck yourself totally from the alcohol, you called me and told me all the happenings you had had. Afterwards, I brought you home from the bar and then I put you into bed in our old room."_

" _Is that all?"_

" _Not really."_

" _What do you mean? What more did I do?" Chuck asked. He had a bad feeling._

" _You did nothing but Lisa…" Herc hesitated to answer._

" _What she was doing? Come on, talk to me," Chuck demanded impatiently._

" _Lisa went away. She was anxious and upset. She only told me that she went forward to Hong Kong to prepare the locale for Striker Eureka."_

" _Screw this! I'm such an idiot. I'm a stupid asshole!" Chuck shouted angrily._

" _Son, calm down."_

" _How the hell would I be able to calm down? I hurt her very much and she went away. Maybe I lost her forever," Chuck dug into his hair edgily. "Thanks for your help, Dad. I must go now," he said a few silent and tense moments later, and then he dragged himself into the room which was his and Lisa's. Only his things were in the room and a letter, which was written and left for him on the bed by Lisa. The engagement ring was left on the letter too. Chuck's stomach contracted and prepared himself for the worst._

 _The letter was short and it contained only this: "We got onto the end of our common way. Simply forget me and don't look for me!"_

" _This really sucks. Damn it," Chuck mumbled and he looked perplexedly at the letter for long minutes as if he was able to discover plus information in that. Some minutes later an idea flashed across his mind and he called Lisa but the number was unavailable. After that, he wrote an e-mail to Lisa but which also remained without reply._

 _Seeing from without Chuck was totally all right, in contrast he was deep down in his soul and suffered from the solitude and the remorse and he tussled with himself. He tried to concentrate on his tasks of ranger, but vainly, Lisa was always in his mind. When he wasn't able to stay the Shatterdome, he went away to run with Max on the ocean coast, but sooner or later he strayed on that coastline, where they frequently spent their spare time with Lisa. Whenever he had tasks in Sydney, everything reminded him of the woman. He tried to occupy himself with lots of things but he wasn't able to escape from before the memories and the hard facts. In this way, he tussled against his memories and actions all day long. Usually, by evening he became totally exhausted and finally he went off to sleep brokenly. His nights were terrible as well because the nightmares about Lisa tormented him. At such times, he always woke up and brooded over the past long, by the time he was able to fall asleep again. For Chuck's, the days and nights passed wretchedly and lonely, and those seemed endless._


	5. Chapter 5

Chuck almost slept around the clock because of the exhaustion. The moon and stars came up onto the sky when he again awoke. He took notice of the fact disappointedly that he still stayed in the damned escape pod. The powerlessness infuriated him that is why he hit hard his wall of aqua prison.

"I must survive this. I wanna live. I wanna get back to Lisa," Chuck whispered, hardly audibly, while he was watching the moon and stars which were reflected from the Pacific Ocean's surface. Due to the spectacle he calmed down because the memories flooded him again.

 _On 1 January, 2025, according to the command Chuck and Herc went into Hong Kong Shatterdome by Striker Eureka, and Chuck could meet Lisa at last._

 _The jaeger repair bay was full of life. The J-tech crew worked around Striker Eureka._

" _I want the mechanic team to check Striker Eureka from top to toe right now. I've to know if he damaged during the battle of Mutavore," she ordered her team._

" _Hello Lisa. Could you devote a little time to me? I'd like to talk to you."_

" _Hello Chuck. Do you have any problem with your jaeger?" her voice was cold and her face was stoic, too stoic._

" _No, it's personal."_

" _Chuck, I'm glad to see you safe and sound. And I'm sure we're all grateful to you for killing the kaiju. But I'm afraid, we haven't got personal things to be discussed."_

" _Lisa, please. I need to talk to you. You left me without a word._

" _No, I left a letter for you. I think my message was clear. I'm just willing to talk to you about Striker Eureka in the future. And now, I must work."_

" _Damn it!" it was the only thing which Chuck could say, while he was looking after her. He was tense and nervous._

 _In this term, the event reached the tip of the iceberg in Chuck life. After what had happened with Lisa, he was on edge, for this he was more aggressive with others. He provoked and started a fight with Raleigh Becket. He always argued with Herc and the Striker Eureka's team members._

 _After the incidents, Chuck was in his room when Lisa visited him unexpectedly._

" _What a surprise," he said a little bit cynically to the woman, who stood at the door._

" _I would like to talk to you. May I come in?"_

" _Of course, what it is about?" and he stood aside from the door._

" _First of all, would you please get dressed? You detract my attention about my message in this scanty dress," and her sight slid on Chuck. He may have taken a shower not long ago, because his hair was still wet and sexy dishevelled. Some water drops flowed down his muscular chest slowly._ _Apart from a twisted towel on his hip he didn't wear anything._

" _Really? According to these I still have an effect on you," he smirked._

" _Don't be silly, I wanna speak with you about a serious thing."_

" _Okay, just a minute and I'm getting dressed. Do you wanna see it?" he was visibly amused on the situation. Lisa didn't answer just she snorted and turned away._

" _I'm ready. What it is about?" he asked a minute later._

" _This's about you. You're in anger with the whole world. You always provoke and insult everybody around you, though we're a team._

" _That's enough. Let's talk about us. I miss you and I want you back," he stepped closer to the woman who started to go backward. Finally, the wall blocked her way and they stood face to face with each other._ _He pushed her against the wall and pressed his body against her. He held her with his hands strongly and wanted to kiss her._

" _Let me go. I don't want you."_

" _As you wish, my Darling," he said ironically and let her go. Then he asked reproachfully. "But then what do you want?"_

" _I want that get your temper under control. I want you not to be rough with other people. For instance Raleigh and Herc," she said, louder._

" _The old man is an idiot, he always irritates me with his predication. And Raleigh Becket is a loser," he got louder, too._

„ _Raleigh isn't a loser. He is a kind man and an excellent ranger."_

„ _What? Oh sorry, I forgot that recently you eat together and you chat charmingly with this asshole Becket in the canteen. Maybe he will be my successor," he said cynically._

„ _Stop it! I had a talk with Raleigh about Gipsy Danger as an engineer. By the way Mako and the J-tech team also sat at our table and we had a conversation altogether. Chuck, you're headstrong, hot-tempered and arrogant, at the same time you're ready to sacrifice yourself for humanity. Why don't you try to be a little bit nicer and more tolerant?"_

„ _What do you care about my manner or what happened with me? You broke up with me!" he yelled_

„ _Because I'm worried about you. Because I love you, damn it!" she cried angrily._

„ _Then why don't you come back to me?"_

„ _Because you're egoistic and arrogant."_

„ _This is stupid. I love you and that is what matters," he took her into his arms again and wanted to kiss her. She felt his breath on her lips._

„ _No. You must become a better person, otherwise we'll always argue. You must realize it," she said and she tore herself from Chuck's hands._

" _Lisa…," he didn't continue, because a digital sound interrupted._

„ _Striker Eureka, report to Bay 6. Both of kaijus are category IV. Striker Eureka, report to Bay 6….."_

„ _I've to go now, but we aren't finished yet!"_

„ _No, forget me! It won't work between us! It was a mistake to come here," and she ran away with tears in her eyes._

 _The further events also didn't serve to the mood, because they lost five great rangers when Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon were killed by the two kaijus._

 _Hours later, after the Hong Kong incident Chuck sat soundlessly on the gantry front of Striker Eureka's head. The whole maintenance area was empty and silent, after that the J-tech crews finished the repairs on the remained two Jaegers and prepared them on the operation pitfall._

„ _Hello Old Boy! You look great. Lisa and her team have done a good job again. You know Striker, Lisa was right: I'm an asshole and people give me a wide berth. Besides this, Raleigh was the one who was able to save my life and whole Hong Kong. He became a hero, while I became a miserable loser. What a suck! And now, I'm sitting alone and talking to a Jaeger," he mumbled sadly. A few minutes later he spoke again. "Lisa, I miss you so much._ _I didn't really know what I got till it's gone. To hell with everything, I have to do something! I love her! I try to talk to her just one last time._ _Well, Old Boy, we're gonna meet again," Chuck_ _started to look for the woman, because he didn't care about the fact that Lisa didn't wish to negotiate with him._

 _He didn't find Lisa in her room, in the gym and in the canteen. After that he walked around the repair bays. Chuck went quickly from hangar to hangar. His footsteps echoed in the empty chamber which covered semi-darkness. He almost reached the last hangar when he found an outlying, opened door through which he caught the sight of Lisa. She was standing on the terrace and leaning against the handrail while she was watching the starry sky. Chuck didn't hesitate too much, he took deep breath and stepped at her side._

" _Hello Lisa," he said softly._

" _Chuck? Hello. You surprised me. I haven't expected you, but I'm glad to see you. I was so worried about you," her voice was friendly._

" _Relay? This is good to hear."_

" _Don't get me wrong. I was worried about every ranger who fought in Hong Kong yesterday."_

" _But you worried more about me than for the others. Right?" he said and winked at Lisa._

" _Maybe, but don't get overconfident," she smiled gently._

" _It's far from me," he smiled back and their eyes met for a long time._

" _By the way what are you doing here?" she asked shyly after she evaded Chuck's gaze._

" _I've looked for you, because I'd like to thank you for your work and effort. After the incident of Hong Kong Striker and Gipsy look better than a brand new jaeger."_

„ _It's nice of you. You know, we worked really hard and the two jaegers are ready to fight. In my view, Striker will be all right, but I'm worried about Gipsy. Although we rebuilt her coolant circulation system and she has a new venting system, which improves the reactor efficiency and venting of waste heat, there're her weak points. I'm wondering whether her new system will able to cycle out the waste heat in the deep ocean appropriately. Good heavens, I talk too much. I'm really exhausted but I can't relax, because the stake is too much," she was saying, while she was burying her face into her hands._

„ _You should have a rest," Chuck said and fondled Lisa's back tenderly._

„ _Please, don't do this," her voice was uncertain because she melted into his touch totally._

„ _Lisa, please don't send me away."_

„ _Chuck…," she wasn't able to continue. She wanted to be strong but she couldn't. She loved him better than anybody else in the world. Although he hurt her, she wasn't able to be angry with him anymore._

 _Chuck knew, that's the moment when_ _he get an opportunity to tell everything which is into his heart._

„ _I just wanna tell you that I'm really sorry about what happened between us. You were right in everything about me. I was an arrogant asshole, what's more I was an egotistic jerk. Lisa, I'm nothing without you. Please forgive me, and come back to me," he was saying in a low voice, while he was holding her flawless face in his strong hands. His blue eyes got to the bottom of her soul and there wasn't escape for Lisa._

„ _Chuck…, her voice breaking. Her eyes filled with tears._

„ _Lisa, I love you. I need you. You belong to me. We belong together," while he was whispering she was feeling his warm breath on her cheeks and she shivered at his closeness._

 _His affectionate words and truthful feeling achieved the purpose. Tears ran down Lisa's face, which Chuck soaked up with his gentle kisses. Finally, they lips met and fused in a kiss. Every affront got lost in the past, every obstacle came down, and only the love and desire remained. The night caught them up in Lisa's room while they were becoming one body in each other arms and then they fell peaceful asleep._

 _They were glad, but they were fully aware of the fact that they don't weather the storm, because a last task lay of Chuck. He and the remained rangers had to cancel the apocalypse._

 _Chuck and Lisa tightly embraced each other in the morning of mission._

" _I don't know what to say. Everything is uncertain and elusive, except one thing: I love you," Chuck broke the silence, his voice was full of gloominess._

" _I love you too. Not point to say anything because I know everything, just I must look into your eyes," she whispered, while they were fondling each other face._

" _I think it's yours, Lisa. I would be happy if you could accept this engagement ring again," and_ _he put the ring on her finger._

" _I'm gladly_ _accepting it, because this ring belongs to me like you," she kissed his lips tenderly._

" _I've to go," Chuck said unwillingly._

" _Yes, I know. I'll be waiting for you. Look after yourself and good luck, Ranger!" she said._

 _In the end, they kiss each other, afterward Chuck stepped outside and he started to perform his last mission._


	6. Chapter 6

January 14, 2025

First rays of the rising sun gleamed up softly on the dawn sky and with this Chuck's second day started on the open ocean. The perfect silence was broken by merely the waves which slapped subtly unto side of the escape pod.

Chuck lay exhaustedly and motionlessly in the escape pod. He stood on the edge of the dehydration, due to the dryness of his lips chapped and the blood oozed from the small cracks. Due to the sunstroke he had very high fever and he was shivering, while the sweat steamed down his body. He felt terrible and he was aware his trial won't take long, but he wasn't afraid to face the death because he was a ranger. Beyond the torment, a memory flashed through his mind again.

 _They lay in each other's arms on the couch._

" _What do you think; do we survive the Kaiju War?" Lisa asked._

" _Yes, we can do it together," Chuck answered and embraced her more tightly._

„ _I fear for you so much, when you go on a deployment."_

„ _Don't worry, I'll always come back to you."_

" _Do you promise?"_

" _I promise."_

" _I love you, Chuck!_

" _I love you too, Baby."_

„I promised you too much. This time, I'm not gonna come back to you, Lisa. I'm sorry. I hope you're right, Baby, and you'll be happy with somebody else. These're not easy to say as you've been my life. I wish I could see you for last time, before I pass away," he whispered.

On the horizon, the slowly, rising sun started to grow dim and swim with the enormous, blue body of water before his eyes. Suddenly, amorphous shapes stepped out from this cavalcade. Those move quickly and gave a strange voice, finally those started to pull him. Chuck wasn't able to protect himself and asked what they want from him, because he felt to fall into a whirl and everything went round faster and faster around him, while he was tumbling deeper and deeper into the darkness. He didn't feel torturing thirst, hunger or pain, he just felt pleasant warmth and calmness.

He attained to the bottom of whirl where nothing existed. In this immense, black emptiness unexpectedly one, tiny, whitely gleaming light spot appeared, which slowly started to approach towards Chuck. When they were within arm's length of each other, he saw to emerge a female figure from the shine. The light-person was graceful and fragile, her face was beautiful and lovely, her hair fell softly about her nicely curved shoulders. The love and kindness poured out from her like the shine.

She carefully and tenderly touched Chuck's face and then she started speaking on her smooth voice. "Now, everything will be all right. You are in safe hands. Rest calmly," she gently passed her hand over the his face, after that she started to move away from him.

Chuck recognized Lisa in the light-person. The relief, the happiness and the thankfulness passed through his soul because his last wish came true.

"Lisa, Baby…" he whispered in a dying voice. After that everything completely darkened around him and the time stopped for Chuck Hansen.


	7. Chapter 7

January 16, 2025

Chuck slowly started to regain his consciousness. The pain passed through his body when he moved his limbs carefully. In this manner, he was sure he's alive. He had to make some effort by the time he was able to open his eyes. Firstly, everything was brilliantly illuminated, after that everything was white, finally the objects started to outline around him. When he looked around he realized he's in a hospital room. At the window, a figure standing near him. He didn't have an idea who that's. That's why, he carefully spoke to the person.

"Excuse me, could you help me?"

"Chuck?" the strange figure said and turned around with lighting speed. The following moments, she sat the edge of the bed and she held his hands, while her eyes were shining with joy and relief.

"Lisa!" he exclaimed gladly. "Accordingly, we survived. Heavens, Baby so much miss you! I love you, better than anything else in the world!" he drew his beloved closer to himself with a fast but a more gentle movement and he closed her lips with a kiss, before she replied anything.

After some minutes, Lisa managed to start speaking, while she was struggling against her tears and whimpered.

"Within a month, I lamented you twice because I almost lost you. Please, don't do this anymore! I love you, and I wouldn't be able to live without you!" while she was speaking their forehead met and they were fondling with smooth move each other's face and hair.

"You know it, bad penny always turns up," he grinned.

"It's not funny. So, please be serious. I'm really worried about you," she smiled kindly and breathed a gentle kiss on Chuck's lips.

"Did the breach close? Are the others well? How long was I unconscious?" he started to bombard Lisa with questions, after that their lips got off from each other.

"Yes, the breach was exploded by Gipsy Danger. Luckily, Mako and Raleigh too are fine."

"Thank goodness!"

"Yeah, but as far as you are concerned, you were in deep sleep for approximately 30 hours. Since then, you've been here in Hong Kong in the military hospital."

"Holy crap, I slept 30 hours," he was astonished. After that he enquired about how they to found him.

"Firstly, they didn't wanna look for you because they believed that you surely perished when you sacrificed Striker Eureka. But I was unwilling to give you up easily, and when I collected myself a little bit I begged for Herc till we started in a rescue mission. Three choppers – on all with a rescue team – searched into three directions, through more clocks. I also accompanied with one of team. We found you miles away from the target zone in the escape pod and you were half-dead. You hardly gave signs of life, you lost your consciousness but the doctors managed to stabilize you. But we gave up searching for Pentecost," Lisa's voice faltered and showed on her that she is again under the effect of horrors which happened not long ago.

"Surely all of this lived through was awful for you, Lisa. But calm down, everything will be all right now," he was consoling her while he was fondling tenderly her face.

"When I got to know that Striker Eureka was killed in action and it hasn't got survivors, firstly I didn't wanna believe it. I walked back mutely, almost mechanically into our room. Into the room, I sank down on that side where earlier you laid. I gripped your T-shirt to myself and I felt your fragrance. I remembered that some hours ago we laid here and you tightly hugged me to yourself. At the time, I realized that you don't exist more. I felt, the one part of my soul was torn and I thought everything meaningless. I was sobbing for hours and hours while I wept myself to sleep. In my dream, you lived and hurried back to me. This gave me strength and new hope thus as I could I hurried to Herc. I implored for him that we started your research but he initially – presumably, due to the spiritual trial – found it meaningless. But the next day, he looked for me and he told to change his mind. He sent out a rescue unit but the search ended unsuccessfully. Then I started to agitate him that we don't give up and the following day, we repeat your search with more helicopters in a more extended area. The result wasn't cancelled. In the following 30 hours, Herc and I were taking turns beside you from the beginning to the end. But now tell me your story. Do you remember what happened to you? How are you feeling?"

Chuck told everything in detail. He also touched upon the amorphous figures and the light-person too, which he saw in his nightmare. Furthermore, with clear consciousness he understood that the members of the rescue team and Lisa were the strange, unworldly creatures. Then he drew the woman to himself and embraced her. Finally, he added promisingly:

"I'm completely fine, now that we're together again and I'll be on it that this always remains unchanged," there wasn't need for more speeches because beyond the words they were able to read everything through from each other's eyes. That's why they absorbed into the unbridled kissing.


	8. Chapter 8

Chuck regenerated under short time and regained his strength. After he left the hospital – unwillingly but – fulfilled his official tasks. He gave interviews and satisfied invitations where he was constantly interrogate about the long past events. He spoke about jaegers, kaijus and battles. Mako, Raleigh and Chuck together were threatened as heroes because they possessed big popularity, because they managed to cancel the apocalypse. But as private person they withdrew from the publicity and all of three lived their life quietly and they looked trustfully into the future.

The months passed quickly.

Lisa and Chuck sat on their favorite shore at Sydney a late afternoon. So many things have changed during the long years which they had together, but this place remained peaceful as on the first day when they visited it. This time also nothing broke the perfect calmness apart from the sound of the seagulls and the waves.

Lisa wore a soft, long, white dress and she held two crystal glasses in her hands. Beside her Chuck threw his tie down in the sand and unbuttoned the two top buttons on his white shirt quickly, because he'd had enough of the well-dressed and good guy role. Then he unwrapped a champagne bottle and opened it skillfully. While they were drinking their common future, the wedding rings were glittering both of them fingers.

"Mrs. Hansen wouldn't have liked a big, fancy wedding at the Harbour Bridge or in the Royal Botanic Garden, or maybe at the Watsons Bay?" Chuck asked funnily.

"No, Mr. Hansen. It's true that our wedding was small, but very intimate and lovely. Herc and our close friends were with us. I think the happiness doesn't depend on the big fuss. The most important thing is in our heart. If we're able to love each other, we'll be always happy together," she was answering while she was kicking off her sandals. Chuck liked her idea and he also kicked off his shoes. Both of them enjoyed the warm and soft sand on their bare feet.

"Most women dream about a big and grandiose wedding, except you. Actually you always think differently in everything than an ordinary woman," he smiled to Lisa.

"It's true, but you love me because of this," she replied joyfully.

"For this and everything else, which you are," Chuck said seriously. His eyes were full of love and he couldn't resist the temptation. They slowly melted into an impassioned kiss. Chuck's hands gently slid from her uncovered shoulders down her hip. Then his hands touched her back and played with the corset of the wedding dress easily.

"You know, you're so beautiful in this dress… Despite this I'm going to take it off you as soon as possible," he said with a roguish grin on his face.

"You're incorrigible," she smiled back to Chuck.

"It's true, but you love me because of this," he replied and winked at her.

"For this and everything else, which you are," Lisa said on a full of love sound and they were starting a siege for each other's lip again, while they were interweaving tightly.

The years passed and they lived together happily. Chuck's favourite pastime was invariably when he was walking with Lisa and Max on the ocean coast in Sydney. They stayed at their favourite coastline for long where they watched the sunset and made their common plans or just they rested mutely in each other's arms and Chuck always tightly embraced his love and he fixed his eyes long on the interminable ocean. He never forgot that some terrible days, when he floated hopelessly and lonely on the open water. Those days changed him forever and he turned into a better person. And the Pacific Ocean became the ocean of memories for him that taught him to respect the past, to appreciate the present and protect the future.


End file.
